House backs bill rejecting Trump's nat'l 'emergency'

In a stinging rebuke to President Donald Trump, the House of Representatives on Tuesday brushed aside veto threats and passed legislation to terminate the emergency he declared at the U.S.-Mexico border in order to build a wall there.

House backs bill rejecting Trump's nat'l 'emergency'

(SOUNDBITE) (English) HOUSE SPEAKER NANCY PELOSI SAYING: "We are not going to give any president, Democratic or Republican, a blank check to shred the Constitution of the United States." In a rebuke to President Trump, the House of Representatives was poised on Tuesday to REJECT his proclaimed national emergency to get his wall built along the U.S.-Mexico border .

If the Democratic-controlled House approves the resolution, as expected, the measure goes to the Republican-controlled Senate where its chances of passage also appeared to be improving.

(SOUNDBITE) (English) SENATE MAJORITY LEADER MITCH MCCONNELL SAYING: "I personally couldn't handicap the outcome at this point, but we will be voting on it." Trump declared a national emergency on February 15th, allowing him to redirect money for the wall after Congress declined his request for $5.7 billion to build it.

The move quickly sparked backlash among some of his own Republicans… At least three Republican senators, Susan Collins, Lisa Murkowski, and Thom Tillis, have signaled they're likely to break with Trump and support the House measure opposing his national emergency…… Tillis on Tuesday wrote in the Washington Post, that while he backed Trump on border security…he could not "justify providing the executive with more ways to bypass Congress…" Even if the resolution passes both chambers… Trump has vowed to veto the measure if it reaches his desk…with the White House formally notifying Congress of their plans on Tuesday, saying: For now, the White House is working to LIMIT Republican support for the measure…with Vice President Mike Pence attending a Senate Republican luncheon on Tuesday.